The analogy in the Bible
concerning leaven has a great deal to teach us. Leaven ferments with the
ingredients in bread to help it to rise. On the day of Unleaven Bread during
the Passover season in Israel, the women baked their bread without yeast. In
fact, they cleaned every nook and cranny in their home. Then they poured the
swept up dust on communal fires in order to remove all leaven that may have
floated through the air and landed on furniture, rugs and behind items on the
counters. For a whole week, they concentrated on keeping their home leaven
free. Why was God so concerned about leaven?
Well, in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Paul exhorts us to get rid of the old "yeast" by removing the deeds
of the flesh within us. He specifically noted the leaven of malice and
wickedness. Then he contrasted the bread without leaven, as the bread of
sincerity and truth. He encourages us to live like a fresh batch of dough made
without yeast - unleavened bread – without sin. Jesus, our Passover Lamb,
sacrificed his life for our sins (Romans 3:25; 1 Peter 1:19). The least we can do is to make a clean sweep of all
unrighteousness within our body and soul and give the Holy Spirit a clean
Temple, unspotted by the corruption of sin in our life.
How many of us could stay
sin-free for seven full days? It is possible, if we live one moment at a time
with our focus on Jesus and not on the circumstances and people around us (Isaiah
26:3). Jesus stated in a parable that
the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large bowl of
flour until it is worked all through the dough. He points out that the leaven
permeates every square inch of the dough. This is good for bread when you want
it to rise. However, it is a negative aspect when we relate the leaven to sin
in our life. We do not want sin to permeate every square inch of our life (Matthew
13:33-34).
Jesus reminded the disciples
at the Last Supper that He was offering His body as unleavened bread – a
sinless offering for the atonement of our sins (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians
11:24). Unleavened bread reminded Israel
that God brought them out of Egypt and set them free in spirit as well as
physically (Exodus 13:3). Bible
Teaching can also be considered leaven. Jesus told the disciples to beware of
the leaven in the teachings of false prophets (Matthew 6:11-12; Galatians
5:9).
In today's world, people
open their mind to the teaching of anyone who tickles their ears! They do not
search the scriptures to see if what the teacher said is true, but they swallow
it hook, line and sinker. They have no discernment and they gullibly embrace
anything that sounds good without ever searching the context and customs behind
the verses quoted. This allows preachers to take verses out of context, isolate
them and make a false doctrine out of them. Since it sounds good, undiscerning
Christians fall for the deception.
It is important for us not
only to know what we believe and to be able to defend it or share it as God
gives us the opportunity; but we must also know why we believe it. Not just
because the preacher said so, but also because we see the doctrine clearly
spelled out in the Word of God. We have a multitude of physical and online
helps in our modern society, and we all have at least one Bible in our home.
Knowing what the Word teaches will enable us to discern when someone twists a
Bible verse to back up their deceptive, intended meaning.
The Feast of Unleaven Bread
is only one of God’s Old Testament commemorative feasts. Each of them also has
a connection to New Testament events. The Bible clearly tells us the shadow of
meaning in them for us today.
THE SPRING FEASTS are
related to the First Coming of Jesus Christ:
•Passover - The Sacrifice of
Jesus Christ to pay for the sins of all humanity (Exodus 12:13, John 1:29). •The Days of Unleavened Bread - The removal of sin from the lives of converted, repentant people (Exodus 12:15, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
•Pentecost - The "first
fruits" harvest, the coming of God's Holy Spirit upon the converted Saints
(Leviticus 23:10-14, Acts 2:1-13).
THE FALL FEASTS relate to the Second Coming of Christ:
•The Feast of Trumpets - The
Return of Jesus Christ (Leviticus 23:23-25, Matthew 24:30-31).
•The Day of Atonement - The
final judgment and sentencing of Satan after his removal as "the god of
this world" (Leviticus 23:26-32, Revelation 20:10).
•The Feast of Tabernacles -
The first 1,000 years after The Return of Christ in which the harvest of
salvation will truly begin (Leviticus 23:33-36, Revelation 20:2-4).
•The Last Day - The 8th day
of the Feast of Tabernacles picturing the resurrection of all those who did
not have an opportunity to hear (physically and/or
spiritually) the Gospel in all the ages prior to the millennium (Leviticus
23:39, Revelation 20:5,11-15).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus the type and shadow
in the Old Testament that relates to actual events in the New Testament is
amazing. Thank You for giving us confirmation of everything You anointed the
authors to write. Help us to live without the leaven of sin in our life. Remind
us to sweep even the corners of our life to remove even the most infinitesimal
traces of sin. We give You honor and glory in everything we think, say and
do.
Thought for the Day:
Any
conformity to worldly influence acts like leaven and corrupts our life until we
are totally perverted.
